Hanna + Paul | Tunnel Springs Engagement Session

July 6, 2017

Oh Tunnel Springs. The most popular location for my brides this year. Everyone loves the green rolling hills. And I love the Russian Olives. It’s a win win. Except for when the mosquitoes are out. Then only the evil little blood-suckers win. But let’s not talk about that. Let’s instead learn all about Hanna and Paul. Because they are adorable!

How They Met – The Quartet Boy

From Hanna: “Paul and I met our Freshman year of college. Weber State University in 2012. I was a violin performance major and a member of the WSU Symphony Orchestra. Paul plays the cello and was also a member of the orchestra. Apparently, he noticed me on the first day of school and thought I was cute but “seemed like a senior”. Paul was 17 and I was 19. Sadly, I didn’t notice Paul at all.It wasn’t until the second semester of the school year that we were placed into the same string quartet. I read his name on the list and wondered “who is that”? He approached me soon after and asked when we were going to start rehearsing. I connected the dots and realized he was the cellist assigned to be in my quartet, but as we exchanged numbers I had forgotten his name and so he became “Quartet Boy”

It wasn’t until the second semester of the school year that we were placed into the same string quartet. I read his name on the list and wondered “who is that”? He approached me soon after and asked when we were going to start rehearsing. I connected the dots and realized he was the cellist assigned to be in my quartet, but as we exchanged numbers I had forgotten his name and so he became “Quartet Boy” in my phone. (He is still Quartet Boy in my phone.) We became fellow quartet members and rehearsed weekly. Then we became friends, and then on one of the last days of school he asked me on a date. I had a mission call at the time and was not at all into boys, but we went on a fun first date (very much as only friends in my mind though). I left on my mission to Denmark in July. A couple of months later Paul left for London for his mission. We wrote emails and letters to each other fairly regularly while we served. Towards the end of my mission and after I returned home in February 2015 the letters from Paul became less and less.

I had transferred to BYU to study music, so he may have thought all hope was gone because he would be returning to WSU. We lost touch and he didn’t even reach out to me when he came home in September. Eventually, we became friends on Facebook and messaged every once in a while. Paul finally decided to actually reach out to me in December and asked to catch up. We call it our “non-date”. Timing wasn’t so good because I was in a relationship with someone else at the time. But things worked out in our favor after some time had passed, Paul called to ask me on a real date. I was single and said yes. So we started dating around February of 2016. He was in Ogden and I was in Provo. We would go on weekend dates and talk on the phone during the week. Then Paul decided to transfer to BYU to study Economics and moved down to Provo in the summer. And we just kept dating and learning about each other.

I had transferred to BYU to study music, so he may have thought all hope was gone because he would be returning to WSU. We lost touch and he didn’t even reach out to me when he came home in September. Eventually, we became friends on Facebook and messaged every once in a while. Paul finally decided to actually reach out to me in December and asked to catch up. We call it our “non-date”. Timing wasn’t so good because I was in a relationship with someone else at the time. But things worked out in our favor after some time had passed, Paul called to ask me on a real date. I was single and said yes. So we started dating around February of 2016. He was in Ogden and I was in Provo. We would go on weekend dates and talk on the phone during the week. Then Paul decided to transfer to BYU to study Economics and moved down to Provo in the summer. And we just kept dating and learning about each other.

He proposed on April 7th, 2017 in Salt Lake City on a trail overlooking the valley after a surprise concert to the Utah Symphony.